Do you stop walking, stand up straight and do the hand-over-heart gesture during the singing of the national anthem?

I did. and I felt awkward seeing people walk pass me as i stood there, my right palm over my heart while singing “Lupang Hinirang.”

It was one Monday morning when the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) had its flag ceremony. I was running late for work, and our office location is just a few buildings away from where I stood.

Friends will no doubt describe me as a thoroughly domesticated momi. I would clean the house for hours and even scrub each bathroom tile until I see them all sparkling white. I would wash, dry and iron clothes or fold them then neatly place inside our closet. This momi would cook at least three dishes in the morning and cook some more in the afternoon for the kids’ merienda and our dinner. I love and am proud being a homemaker. And that includes washing the dishes and pots, cups and even the chopping board and the food containers.

Thus, it is with great joy that we got some samples of a new dishwashing liquid to try–Bubble Man dishwashing liquid. The brand is not anymore new in the market since it has been there for more than a decade, I guess. It is new in our household though because we always prefer the leading brand until we switched to an all-natural antibacterial dishwashing liquid.

Available in 3 variants: Lemon, Antibac, and Kalamansi. Promo pack (2 bottles) 270ml at P55.00 and 880ml at P120.00

Merienda shouldn’t be just plain bread and drinks. The boys love them when their bread have writings or anything on top. Same with the drinks.

QUICK REMEDY

October 27, 2010

5:23pm

Our lady neighbor asked her children to go inside and take a bath. They handed over to Bunso his plastic sword and gun. The little lad waited outside for his playmates to return. I encouraged my son to just wait inside, but he refused. Bunso was heartbroken.

I got a bottle of Yakult and a pouch of kisses from the refrigerator. “Bunso, mama prepared something for the little boy,” I called. He hurriedly climbed up the chair and consumed everything in minutes.

We were late. My son was a little anxious. Seldom was he late in his class or any commitment. But once we’ve reached The Maya Kitchen workshop venue, I saw a relieved smile on my 10-year-old’s face. He readily joined his teammates and spent no time catching up and whipping some batter. A few minutes after and I saw him all relaxed. He was in his usual jolly spirit.

I am a mother and a happy one. I’ve got four boys and had missed abortion three years ago. In each pregnancy, I’ve experienced difficulty and for the first trimester was under bed rest. I gave birth to my boys through normal delivery and should I’ve known the natural way of birthing, I might have opted for that.

Despite the pregnancy hardship, I consider my motherhood journey a happy one. Not because life has always been too generous and kind. Perhaps it’s because I am surrounded by mommies who are more than willing to lend a listening ear, share a bit of wisdom, and even laugh at my flaws and antics. They comfort me and make me understand that motherhood is both exciting and challenging, or it may be heartbreaking but heartwarming as well. And most especially, they remind me that motherhood is inspiring and fulfilling.

16 days after giving birth to you, I was in panic mode. My milk supply dwindled. Gone was the feeling of having two boulders full of milk on my chest. The leaking stopped tremendously, and soaking through breast pads were not anymore a problem.

My fear? My milk production has gone down. What could have possibly caused the sudden change?

I’ve read that mental and physical stress can decrease the supply of breastmilk. I have been tired and anxious for a couple of days, perhaps because of lack of sleep and the pressure of household chores plus supervising three schoolboys. Might it be that stress?

My mother, on the other hand, told me that it may be because of the sinigang soup I ate and drank; the sourness of sinigang caused the decrease of milk supply, as relayed to her by a concerned neighbor. Is there some truth to it?

So for nursing mommies like me who might have experienced the same anxiety, fret not. In truth, our milk supply did not dwindle but has been regulated.

I’ve been to this highly urbanized place — which according to our tour guide Meow has consistently expanded through land reclamation. Founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles, the place has a number of places named after him. It was only in 1965 when it became an independent nation and a republic, which it remains today.

This sovereigncity-state has the Merlion as its symbol. The fish body represents the island country’s origin as a fishing village, and the lion head comes from its original name Singapura. Singapura means “lion city.”

Like this:

Perhaps, aside from birthdays, children appreciate Christmas the most. They get to receive gifts, and the food is just overflowing.

Christmas is also the time for reunions and meetups. Visiting friends and relatives not only gives us the time to catch up but gives the boys — much to their delight– the opportunity to receive gifts either in cash or in kind. My boys received mostly cash from these visits.

Usually, I let them spend their Christmas money, but still under my supervision. Last December though, husband and I encouraged them to open a bank account and start saving. Part of the money they deposited were their own savings from their school allowance. To encourage them all the more, husband promised the boys he will double the money they invested in the bank.

Will Smith’s Seven Pounds is what I aptly expected as a well-thought-of follow-up to his Pursuit of Happyness. It was, on the contrary, a lengthy public service announcement on the risk of text-messaging while driving.

MOMIS TWO CENTS WORTH| Seven Pounds

The first few minutes of the flick showed signs of an interesting mystery movie for Smith. The series of challenging muddled scenes was a torture, giving me a little hope on how to connect all loose ends. For goodwill or otherwise, Smith’s actions were a puzzle yet to be solved. His behaviors seemed to have no apparent motive-

Called 911 to report a suicide. Berated a blind meat salesman over the phone. Tagged along the same man to engage in a gentle conversation afterward. Spied on a hospital patient. Etal.

All throughout the film, it was Smith’s unfailing pain-struck expression that caught my attention. His sad face play all the more ignited my presumption that the movie will further develop into a heavy drama. His repetitively forever-change-your-life spiel not only offered curiosity of the film’s ending but likewise confirmed its beyond the pursuit of happiness stance.

Enlightenment surfaced nearing the picture’s conclusion. May well be a bizarre manner of making amends for a devastating mistake in his past, Smith’s purpose was made clear from the beginning – seek seven lives he deemed worthy of his fortune to finally make up for the seven lives he took. But what made the film both psychologically absorbing and exhausting was the way the movie progresses, very careful not to fully reveal the motivation of the main character by showing only snippets of the past and the present. I salute director Muccino for this – carefully manipulating the story with a high goal not to break Smith’s illusiveness.

The very slow pace of the flick might have caused grave emotional burden that left me dumbfounded for a few minutes. The story was indeed both surprising and poignant.

A classic case of tragic redemption, the “lucky” heirs include: (1) brother ben for his lung lobe; (2) wife-beater victim Connie for his beach house; (3) child service worker Holly for his liver; (4) hockey coach George for his kidney; (5) young boy Nicholas for his bone marrow; (6) meat salesman and pianist Ezra for his corneas; and (7) terminally-ill Emily for his heart.

At the end, and aside from reminding me the famous DON’T DRIVE WHILE TEXTING campaign, the movie reiterated Squidward’s warning to Spongebob-